


Gone Too Soon

by JTxBojan



Category: One Direction, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Established Relationship, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2012-10-21
Packaged: 2017-11-16 18:32:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JTxBojan/pseuds/JTxBojan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was November 3rd, 2020. The most painful date in Louis’ life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone Too Soon

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Bold, italic sentences are song lyrics.
> 
> Based on the song "Gone Too Soon" by Daughtry, which was stuck in my head for weeks and I couldn't help but write this. For the full effect and understanding of the fic, listen to the song.

Louis took a deep breath as he stood outside the door leading into the apartment he shared with Harry. Reaching up, Louis ran a hand through his own hair and closed his eyes for a moment.

It was November 3rd, 2020. The most painful date in Louis’ life.

With a sigh, Louis opened the door, quietly stepping inside and closing the door just as quietly behind him. The sound of someone playing the piano filled the apartment and Louis just stood by the front door for a moment, trying to recognize the melody. He’d heard it before, but he couldn’t quite place it as he stepped out of his shoes and hang up his jacket before making his way down the hallway towards the living room. 

When he reached the open door, he stopped, listening as the sound of the piano was suddenly accompanied by Harry’s soft voice as he sang. Louis instantly recognised the song now.

****_“Today could have been the day  
That you’d blow out your candles  
Make a wish as you’d close your eyes…”_

Louis closed his eyes again. November 3rd, 2020. Exactly five years ago today, Harry and Louis’ son had been born. And just about 45 minutes later, the baby boy had passed away. 

Louis remembered it all so well. It had been such a complicated process. Harry and Louis had wanted the child to be biologically theirs, and it had cost them a lot of money and time, but eventually scientists had managed to fuse their sperm cells into one. Harry’s sister had then been willing to be an egg donor, and after Harry and Louis’ combined sperm cells had fertilized the egg, the embryo had then been added to the womb of the woman who was going to be their surrogate. 

When Harry and Louis found out it had worked, and that the surrogate was pregnant, they had both burst into tears of happiness. They had then spent the next 9 months preparing everything. Neither of them wanted to know the sex of the baby until he or she was born, so therefore they had spent a lot of money buying both pink and blue baby material.

On November 3rd, 2015, the day had finally arrived for their baby to be born. It took 15 hours from their surrogate went into labour until the baby was born. When Harry and Louis found out it was a boy, they went ballistic with excitement. After the boy had been taken out of the room to get cleaned up, the doctors had returned with him and handed him to Harry. 

The baby had been so quiet as Harry had held him, and Louis had been sitting next to Harry, his arm wrapped tight around Harry’s shoulders as he gazed down at the beautiful boy in Harry’s arms. The two of them had already decided the name for their son. Jamie. 

But only a few minutes after Jamie had been handed to Harry, Jamie had stopped breathing and he had been taken out of the room. It took exactly 22 minutes before the doctors had returned to the waiting room to tell Harry and Louis that there was nothing they could do. The baby boy had passed away. 

Louis bit his lip as Harry continued to sing.

****_“Today could have been the day  
Everybody was laughing  
Instead I just sit here and cry…”_

Losing their child had broken both their hearts, and Harry especially had been inconsolable for months afterwards. Despite the fact that it had been five years now, November 3rd was still the most painful day of the year for them both. 

Leaning back against the wall, Louis listened as Harry’s voice continued to fill the apartment as he sang.

****_“Who would you be?_  
What would you look like  
When you looked at me for the very first time?  
Today could have been the next day of the rest of your life…” 

Trying to breathe deeply and calmly to keep his emotions under control, Louis tried to imagine how the little boy would have looked like today, on what should have been his 5th birthday. 

He would probably have had Harry’s beautiful, brown curls, and maybe he would have had Louis’ blue eyes. Or maybe Harry’s green ones. Either way, he would have been beautiful, because he would have been **_their_** son.

Swallowing hard, Louis opened his eyes and pushed himself away from the wall, walking quietly into the living room, approaching Harry slowly, who was sitting with his back to him by their big, black piano, Harry’s voice still singing softly.

****_“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you_  
I’m always asking why this crazy world had to lose  
Such a ray of light we never knew  
Gone too soon…” 

Louis reached out with a hand, running it gently through Harry’s hair when he reached him. Harry didn’t stop playing at Louis’ touch; he just closed his eyes and leaned slightly into it. 

Leaning down, Louis pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Harry’s head before he straightened back up and walked past Harry until he was standing right next to the piano, turning around so that he was able to look at Harry as he played. Harry’s eyes met Louis’ as he sang the next part of the song.

**_“Would you have been president?  
Or a painter? An author? Or sing like your fathers?”_ **

Louis let a small smile play across his lips as he noticed that Harry had changed the word “mother” to “fathers” in the song. 

He wondered what kind of profession their son would have ended up choosing. He would probably have been a natural when it came to singing. Or maybe he would have been a really good footballer, like Harry was, but he never let anyone see it. Or perhaps he would have wanted to become a lawyer, like Louis himself wanted to be when he was younger.

Regardless of what kind of profession he would have chosen, Louis knew their son would have been a huge success. And he and Harry would have supported him no matter what.

****_“One thing is evident  
Would’ve given all I have  
Would’ve loved you like no other…”_

The next words Harry sang made Louis close his eyes for a moment to try and fight back the tears. The song lyrics were right. No matter what, Harry and Louis would’ve given anything for their son. They would have loved him unconditionally and more than anything else in the world. Their boy would have been their everything. 

Opening his eyes again, Louis took a step closer to Harry and the stool he was sitting on, his eyes once again meeting Harry’s gaze as Harry continued to play. Louis reached out with a hand and gently cupped Harry’s cheek, his thumb sliding gently against Harry’s skin right underneath his eye as Louis sang the next part of the song, his eyes not leaving Harry’s for a second.

****_“Who would you be?  
What would you look like?  
Would you have my smile and his eyes?”_

Harry offered Louis a small smile as he leaned against his touch, finishing the final line of that verse.

**_“Today should have been the next day of the rest of your life…”_ **

Louis let his hand drop from Harry’s cheek, noticing that Harry had changed the “could” to “should” as he sat down on the stool next to Harry, wrapping one arm gently around Harry’s waist as he watched Harry’s fingers move across the piano as he played.

Harry was right. Today should have been the next day of the rest of their son’s life. 

Louis leaned his head against Harry’s shoulder as they sang the chorus together.

****_“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you_  
I’m always asking why this crazy world had to lose  
Such a ray of light we never knew  
Gone too soon… 

**_Not a day goes by…  
I’m always asking why…”_ **

It was unfair. So very fucking unfair. Their son was supposed to celebrate his 5th birthday today. They were supposed to be a happy family, laughing and crying and God knows what not together. Harry and Louis weren’t supposed to mourn the 5th year since their son had passed away. 

Louis’ eyes drifted shut as tears began to roll slowly down his face. He had to swallow hard as he listened to Harry continuing to play the piano as his arm tightened slightly around Harry’s waist. Harry was shivering slightly, and Louis knew that he was on the verge of crying as well. Nevertheless, they both took a deep breath and sang the rest of the song together.

****_“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you_  
I’m always asking why this crazy world had to lose  
Such a beautiful life we never knew  
Gone too soon  
Gone too soon…” 

Louis bit his lip as Harry played the final instrumental part before the very last lines of the song. He couldn’t sing more, because he knew his voice would fail him. Instead, he just tightened his arm around Harry’s waist even more and he knew that Harry understood. Then, Harry finished the song on his own, his voice impossibly softer now.

**_“Not a day goes by  
That I don’t think of you…”_ **

Harry let one of his hands fall to rest on his knees, his eyes drifting shut as he leaned his head to rest against Louis’, using his free arm to wrap around Louis’ shoulders.

They just sat like that in silence, for a long moment. Almost ten minutes passed before either of them said anything.

“Do you think he would have been happy?” Harry almost whispered, making Louis open his eyes. He used his free hand to rub his eyes to wipe away the tears before lifting his head from Harry’s shoulder and turning his head to look at him.

“What?” Louis asked, watching as Harry turned his head to meet Louis’ gaze.

“Jamie… Do you he would be happy if he was here?” 

Louis unwrapped his arm from around Harry’s waist and used both hands to reach up and gently frame Harry’s face, his thumbs wiping at the tears that were still running down Harry’s cheeks.

“I know he would have been happy.” Louis said. Harry blinked his eyes and sniffled as he leaned slightly into Louis’ touch, his voice soft and quiet as he spoke.

“How do you know that?”

Louis smiled softly, locking his gaze with Harry’s.

“Because he would have had the best fathers in the world that would have done everything to make sure that he was always happy, no matter what.” Louis said, watching as Harry smiled softly back at him.

“He would have had your smile.” Harry whispered.

“And your curls. And your beautiful, green eyes.” Louis responded, leaning his forehead against Harry’s. 

“And he would have had your cheek bones.” Harry said, closing his eyes.

“And your sense of humour.” Louis continued, watching as Harry smiled again.

“And your insane obsession with suspenders and striped shirts.” Harry said with a soft chuckle in his voice.

“Yeah… And he would have your terrible cooking skills.” Louis teased, smiling happily as Harry opened his eyes to look at him as he said that.

“Hey!” He gasped.

“It’s true, Harry. You can’t cook for shit.” Louis chuckled, making Harry pout his lips. 

“I know.” 

Louis grinned triumphantly at that, before they both fell silent for a while again.

“He would have been the best boy ever…” Harry whispered. Louis bit his lip, before nodding his head in agreement.

“Of course he would’ve been. You’re his father, after all.” Louis whispered back, a tiny smile on his lips as he gazed into Harry’s eyes. Harry returned his smile before he laid his head against Louis’ shoulder, closing his eyes as Louis instantly wrapped an arm tight around Harry, pressing a soft kiss to his hair.

“Happy birthday, Jamie…” Harry whispered as he nuzzled his face into the side of Louis’ neck.

Louis bit his lip, lifting his gaze and looking at the framed picture sitting at the top of the piano, two candles burning on either side of it. It was the only picture they had with their baby boy, and it had been taken at the hospital, just a few minutes before Larry stopped breathing.

Harry was holding Jamie in his arms, while Louis was sitting next to him, his arm wrapped tightly around Harry’s shoulders as they both gazed down at the baby sleeping in Harry’s arms. They both had the biggest smiles on their faces as the picture had been taken. It was Louis’ favourite picture ever.

As his eyes filled with tears again, Louis tightened his arm around Harry, taking a deep breath before letting a soft, small smile spread across his lips as he looked at the picture.

“Happy birthday, Jamie…” Louis whispered, looking at Jamie in Harry’s arms in the picture and whispered again.

“Sleep tight, little angel. Sleep tight…”


End file.
